PLUS: FIGURE SKATING -- U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS

PLUS: FIGURE SKATING -- U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS; Kwan Captures Short Program

By JERE LONGMAN

Published: February 12, 1999

With an unchallenged performance that rated a perfect mark of 6 for presentation, Michelle Kwan won the short program at the national figure skating championships last night in Salt Lake City.

Her routine lacked the drama and inspiration that rated Kwan seven perfect scores of 6 at the 1998 national championships, and she skated behind her music.

But in this post-Olympic year, without any threat from Tara Lipinski, who turned professional, or a pair of emerging 13-year-olds, whose sophistication does not yet match their ambition, Kwan easily took first place from all nine judges.

Skating to reflections on Bizet's Carmen,Kwan, the reigning world champion, received only one mark lower than 5.8, and her 6 for presentation was accompanied by eight 5.9's. Tomorrow's free skate will count for two-thirds of the score.

Sarah Hughes, 13, of Great Neck, N.Y., skated with such deliberateness that she nearly came to a stop before launching her combination jump, but last night it was more important to be upright than boldly assertive.

While others tumbled, she remained on her feet and delivered an error-free performance that earned second place.

Even so, the judges could not quite decide whether Hughes, the 1998 junior national champion, had been unhurried or slow in her senior debut. Her scores for artistic merit varied wildly, from 5.8 to 4.6.

Angela Nikodinov, a training partner of Kwan's in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., was expected to finish second, but she fell apart and slipped to sixth. Amber Corwin, 20, of Costa Mesa, Calif., took third with an underrated jazzy performance.

Another 13-year-old, Naomi Nari Nam of Anaheim, Calif., has the presence and gracefulness of a future Olympic medalist, but her debut in the women's senior division ended with a hard fall on her combination jump. Her head bounced off the ice, and for a moment it appeared that she would not continue. She did and finished fourth.

In the absence of the five-time national champion Todd Eldredge, who did not enter, the men's short program was won by Michael Weiss of Fairfax, Va. Timothy Goebel of Evanston, Ill., finished second and Trifun Zivanovic of Santa Monica, Calif., took third. JERE LONGMAN